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Connecticut resident Jermaine Sanders is expecting a check from the town of Mooresville any day now.
Iredell District Court Judge Christine Underwood once again told the town and its police department that it has seven days to comply with a court order or go to jail.
Sanders’ lawyer Ashley Cannon says Mooresville PD seized $17,000 belonging to him when they illegally searched his rental car in a hotel parking lot on Nov. 16. The car was unoccupied at the time.
Three days later, Police were notified of a hearing to challenge the seizure of Sanders’ money, according to Cannon. However, police had a different agenda than letting the matter be settled in court.
On Nov. 23, one day before the hearing, Mooresville Police sent a check for the same amount they seized to the federal government under the authority of the civil forfeiture law. The matter continued to be litigated between both sides before heading to court.
In February 2021, Judge Underwood ordered Mooresville to return Sanders’ money or go to jail. They have since refused, prompting a second warning from Underwood.
Mooresville officials filed a notice of appeal which was rejected Monday. The town and its PD now has until Monday, April 19 to return the money.
But the process has become harder for Sanders to regain his lost sum of money.
The Federal Government filed a case to retain the money given to them by Mooresville. Which means Sanders now faces an uphill battle in court to get back what is rightfully his.
North Carolina town ordered to return $17K seized from man was originally published on wbt.com
